Electric gas-lighter.



Nd. 658,299. Patented Sept. I8, moo.

H. DE THIERSANT &. H. J. NURBALLE.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

Application filed May 14, 1900.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI DE THIERSANT AND HANS JACOB NORBALLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,299, dated September 18, 1900. Application filed May 14, 1900. Serial No. 16,631. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRI DE THIERSANT, a citizen of the Republic of France, and HANS JACOB NORBALLE, a subject of the King of Denmark, both residing at 97 Cannon street, in the city of London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Electric Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in or connected with electric gas-lighters of the kind wherein there is provided in connection with the gas burner and supply pipe an electromagnet having a vibrating armature adapted to operate one or more pawls held in engagement with a toothed Wheel controlling the plug of a suitable valve. This valve controls the supply of gas from the gas-supply pipe to a main burner and to a by-pass. The vibrating armature of the electromagnet also operates a make-and-break contact placed in proximity to the by-pass burner. With this arrangement when a current is caused to flow through the electromagnet the armature is vibrated in the well-known manner, thereby operating the valve-plug, so as to admit gas to the by-pass, the said gas being ignited by the spark produced at the make-and-break contact, also operated by the armature of the magnet. The further rotation of the valveplug by the toothed wheel admits gas to the main burner, which gas is ignited by the bypass or pilot-flame, while the still further rotation of the plug cuts off the gas to the by-pass burner. To turn off the gas when required,the plug is caused to still further rotate by causing current to again flow through the electromagnet. Now to enable the above-described cycle of operations to be properly controlled and also to enable the size of the flame to be adj usted at will we employ the following mechanism-that is to say, we furnish the rotating toothed wheel actuated by the pawls from the magnet-armature with a number of projecting pins or stops, and in connection with these stops we provide a stop-arm attached to the armature of a supplementary electromagnet, which is connected up electrically with the main magnet, so as to be simultaneously supplied with current. The stop-pins are so arranged in conjunction with the passages through the valve-plug that the said plug can be stopped at certain predetermined positions to enable the flame to be regulated as desired. In practice the stop-arm is advantageously made as a spring-arm, so that the spring is put into tension before the valve plug is actually stopped. The object of this is to cause the said arm to spring back out of engagement with the said pin when the electric circuit is broken.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an electric gas-lighter constructed according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof with the casing removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the device, seen in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the de vice, seen in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and shown with the casing removed. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the burner and valve. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line? 7, Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8 8, Fig. 5.

a is the gas-supply pipe; I), the casing of the ignition device, which is screwed to the supply-pipe; c, the main electrolnagnet, and d the armature thereof, the said armature being pivoted at d to a post 1), formed in the ignition device.

6 is the valve-casing, which is here shown formed in the post I), and c is the valve-plug, which fits into and is held in the casing c in the usual manner. This plug is formed with an annular groove 6 which is in communication With the supply-pipe a through the medium of the passage 6 and with the central aperture 6 in the plug through the medium of the radial passages e c. The said central aperture Q can be placed into communication, by the radial passages e c, with the tube f, passing to the burner g, which is screwed into the top of the post 1). Furthermore, the said central aperture can, by means of the radial passages 6 be placed into communication with the by-pass burner h.

i is the ratchet-wheel, which is fixed to the plug a, and t t are the pawls, which are pivoted to the end of the armature-arm (Z and are held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel by the spring We utilize the arrangement of two pawls, one of which engages a tooth while the other is halt-way up the inclined face of the tooth, so that the number of teeth upon the wheel can be reduced to obtain the desired result from the vibrating armature (I.

To effect the sparking for igniting the gas issuing from the by-pass 71,, we employ the arrangement comprising the fixed contact j, which is in electrical connection with the terminalj, supplying current from the battery A, Fig. 3, and the movable contactj which is fixed in the insulating-clamp attached to the end of the projection 7' upon the armature (Z, and provided with current by the wire f, as clearly shown.

Proceeding now to the description of the mechanism for controlling the ignition and extinction of the gas-flame, 7t 7t are the projecting pins or stops formed upon the outer face of the ratchet-Wheel i, and lis the spring stop-arm, the said arm being fixed to the post b by the screw Z and being connected to the armature Z of the auxiliary electromagnet m, which is also fixed in position to the post Z) and is connected up in the circuit so as to be supplied with current simultaneously with the main magnet 0. Z is astop to limit the extent to which the spring-arm lean be turned back by the pins. lVith this arrangement when the circuit is completed by any suitable key current flows through the main magnet c and vibrates the armature d, thereby operating the pawls 2" 2' and rotating the ratchetwheel 1i. The electric currentalso causes the magnet on. to attract its armature l thus bringing the free end of the spring-arm Z within the path of the stop-pins 7970 upon the ratchet-wheel 2', so that the said wheel is stopped by the resistance of the first pin it comes into contact with, the said spring-arm Zbeing, however, moved by the pressure of the said pin to about the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. During this rotation the ratchet-wheel t' has turned the plug through a sufficient distance to eifect the following operationsthat is to say, itturns the plug so that gas is first enabled to pass to the by-pass burner h through one of the passages 6 so that when issuing from the said burner it is ignited by the vibrating sparking-contact j after which the plug is turned sufficiently to admit gas through one of the passages 6 into the tubef and burner g, the gas issuing from which is ignited from the flame of the by-pass burner 71 and then to cut off the gas from the said by pass burner 7L, leaving the main burner g alight. On now breaking the electric circuit the spring-arm Z moves out of the path of the stop-pin 7t and on account of its elasticity springs also beyond it-that is to say, into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1so that when the circuit is again completed it does not stand in the path of the pin 70, which it has previously stopped.

To control the size of the flame, it will be clear that the circuit should be broken when the spring-arm has attained a position intermediate between two plns, or we can provide further pins to mark different degrees of illumination, as may be most suitable.

In the event of the mechanism for operating the valve-plug c not acting, by reason of the battery failing to supply current or for any other reason, we arrange the plug to be operated by hand, and for this purpose we provide an extension at on the plug, having a squared end for the reception of a suitable key.

Having now particularlydescribed and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is 1. An electric gas-lighting device consisting of a main burner, a bypass burner for lighting the main burner, a cock provided with a ratchet-wheel for governing the gassupply to both of said burners, a sparking device for igniting the gas-supply from said bypass burner, an armature and magnet operating said ratchet-wheel on said cock and oscillating said sparking device and an auxiliary armature and magnet controlling the movement of said cock and thereby varying the gas-supply, substantially as described.

2. An electric gas-lighting device consisting of a main burner, a by-pass burner for lighting the main burner, a cock governing the gas-supply to both of said burners, a ratchet-wheel secured to the plug of said cook, a sparking device igniting the gas-supply from said by-pass burner, an armature and magnet oscillating said sparking device and provided with pawl mechanism for revolving said ratchet-wheel, and an auxiliary armatu re and magnet controlling the movement of said ratchet-wheel and varying the gassupply, substantially as described.

3. An electric gas-lighting device consisting of a main burner, a by-pass burner for lighting the main burner, a cock governing the gas-supply to both of said burners and provided with a ratchet-wheel having pins on its outer face near its periphery, a sparking device for igniting the gas-supply from said by-pass burner, an armature and magnet operating said ratchet-wheel on said cock and oscillating said sparking device, an auxiliary armature mounted on a spring which holds it out of engagement with the core of its magnet, a spring-arm extending from said auxiliary armature and adapted to be drawn into the path of said pins on said ratchet-wheel, and a positive arm extending from said auxiliary armature and limiting the movement of said spring-arm whereby the gas-supply is varied, substantially as described.

4. An electric gas-lighting device consisting of a main burner, a by-pass burner for lighting the main burner, a cook, the plug being provided with a ratchet-wheel and with an annular groove communicating with the supply-pipe, radial passages leading from said groove to a central longitudinal aperture IIS and oscillating said sparking device, and an within said cock, radial passages adapted to supply the main burner from said central longitudinal aperture and radial passages establishing communication between said central longitudinal aperture and the by-pass burner, all of said passages being so constructed as to cut oif the supply of gas from the by-pass burner when the main burner is lighted and to allow the by-pass burner to be lighted first, a sparking device for igniting the gas-supply from said by-pass burner an armature having suitable pawl mechanism for operating said ratchet-wheel on said cock auxiliary armature and magnet controlling the movement of said cock and varying the gas-supply, substantially as described.

5. An electric gas-lighting device consisting of a main burner, a by-pass burner for lighting the main burner, a cock governing the gas-supply to both of said burners, a ratchet-wheel secured to the plug of said cock, an oscillating electrode adapted to create a spark by its make-and-break contact with a fixed electrode, an armature and magnet, said armature being provided with a lever having two pawls engaging the teeth of said ratchet-wheel, a spring retaining said pawls in such engagement, a spring connection between said armature and said oscillating electrode and an auxiliary armature and magnet for controlling the movement of said ratchetwheel, and varying the gas-supply;substantially as described.

6. An electric gas-lighting device consisting of a main burner, a by-pass burner for 1 lighting the main burner, a cock having a central longitudinal aperture therein, an annular recess communicating with said longitudinal aperture, and with the gas-supply pipe by means of radial passages, radial passages connecting the said longitudinal aperture with the main-burner pipe and radial passages leading from said longitudinal aperture to said by-pass burner, said passages being so arranged with respect to said cock that gas is supplied to the by-pass burner first and cut 0% when the gas from said main burner is ignited, a ratchet-wheel secured to the plug of said cock, an oscillating electrode adapted to create a spark by its make-and-break contact with a fixed electrode, an armature and magnet, said armature being provided with a lever having two pawls engaging the teeth of said ratchet-wheel, a spring retaining said pawls in such engagement, a spring connection between said armature and said oscillating electrode and an auxiliary armature held normally outof contact with its magnet by means of a spring, a spring-arm extending from said auxiliary armature in such a position as to be drawn into the path of said pins on said ratchet-wheel by its magnet and an arm fixed to said auxiliary armature and limiting the movement of said spring-arm whereby the gas-supply is varied, substantially as described.

HENRI DE THIERSANT. HANS JACOB NORBALLE. Witnesses:

' JOHN E. BOUSFIELD,

O. G. REDFERN. 

